Label holder



Allg 29, 1967 J. c. SOBESKY 3,337,977

LABEL HOLDER Filed Sept. l5, 1965 JNVENTOR. Jol-m C. SQBESKY ATTORNEYSUnited States Patent O 3,337,977 LABEL HOLDER John C. Sohesky,Farmington, Mich., assignor to S & M Mfg.'Co., Detroit, Mich.,a-corporation of Michigan Filed Sept. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 487,373 7Claims. (Cl. 40-10) This invention relatesv to holders -for labels, suchas price markers, and particularly to a label holder adapted to bemounted at the front edge of a shelf.

The la'bel holder of the present invention generally comprises alongstrip in the form of a transparent sheath adapted to Ibe engaged alongits longitudinal edges underneath overhanging lips along the oppositelongitudinal edges of a concave shaped retainer strip. Along onelongitudinal edge the inner and outer portions of the sheath areconnected together so that it can be opened in a hinged-like fashion topermit insertion and removal of a label therebetween. The sheath has atransverse dimension slightly less than the transverse arcuate dimensionof the concave retainer and slightly greater than the transversedimension between the overhanging lip portions so that it is retainedbetween the lip portions in a generally con; cave condition.

An object of the invention is to provide a transparent label holderwhich protects the label and yet allows it to -be seen.

Another object of the invention is to protect shelfmounted price markersor other labels from being accidentally dislodged or shifted.

Another object of the invention is to make a label holder substantiallytamper-proof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a label holder which canbe opened to facilitate inserting a label therein and which isself-closing.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be evidentfrom the following description taken with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 shows a label holder in accordance with the invention mounted atthe front face of a shelf.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 illustrates the manner in which a tool may be employed to pryopen a plastic sheath which is part of the holder.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the holder after the sheath has beenopened along a portion of its length.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view looking at the -back of the sheath.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view showing a modification of the sheath.

FIG. 7 shows how the sheath of the modified embodiment is snapped into aretainer when initially mounting it.

The holder of the invention comprises a retainer and a folder-likesheath of transparent, flexible, resilient material so dimensioned as toreceive price markers or other labels therein and to tit at the frontface of a shelf. The sheath includes front and back strips and may havea lip at its top which overlies part of its front strip. In oneembodiment the ilip is integral with the 'back strip and in anotherembodiment it is part of a separate supporting structure. In either casethe sheath can only fbe opened in a practical manner by the use of atool, and this makes the holder substantially tamper-proof. Due to theresiliency of the material, the sheath is self-closing, although when itis mounted on the retainer and opened, it is pushed manually to snap thefront strip under the retaining lip. Since the sheath is transparent,labels are visible through the front strip and are protected from beingaccidentally dislodged or shifted.

Referring to FIGS. `1-5, a holder 10 according to the 3,337,977Patented* 29, `19157 invention includes a sheath 15 anda retainer 12which is ailixed to the front face of arshelf on which products 14 aredisplayed. Holder 10 contains price markers 16, 18, 20 grouped under theparticular products to which they apply.

Sheath 15 has a front strip 22, a back strip 24 and a crease-likelbottom edge 26. The sheath is made of a transparent, exi-ble, resilientplastic material, preferably byV extrusion. The front and lblack strips22 and 24 merge together at the bottom edge 276, and --as may 'be seenin FIG. 2, Ibottom edge 26 is thickened slightly compared to strips 22and 24 to strengthen the, edge. Front strip 22 has a top edge 28 whichis free, but which is retained in closed position by a lip 30. In Vthisembodiment, lip 30 merges with back strip 24 at the crease-like top edgey32 of the sheath. Lip 30 overlies only a narrow width of front strip 22at and near its top ed-ge 28, thus allowingthesheath to be opened fbyprying top edge 28 out from under lip 30. Lip 30 constitutes asemi-rigid ap which can be bent outwardly with most of the 'bendingoccurring at edge 32.

Sheath 15 is mounted on retainer 12 with its top and bottom edges 26 and32 inserted under the lips 34 and 36 of the retainer. The back strip 24of sheath 15 may be bonded with adhesive material to the -face ofretainer 12. The -retainer in turn is attached to front face 38 of shelf40 'by suitable screws 42. The front and |back strips 22 and 24 areconcave toward retainer 12 and the face of the retainer is also concave.The sheath lits snugly against the retainer with the front `and backstrips of the sheath spaced apart slightly in its closed position.

A price marker 18 is received in the space between front and fbackystrips 22 and 24 and rests on bottom edge 26. Front strip 22 issuiciently stiff to bend price marker 18, thus holding it solidly inplace. The normal, unbent condition of price marker 118 is indicated bybroken lines n FIG. 2, and since the marker is resilient it will assumethis position when front strip 22 is pulled away from back strip 24 toopen the sheath. y Y

The sheath is opened by inserting the hooked end 46 of a tool 44 underlip 30 and over top edge 28 of front strip 22 in the manner indicated inFIG. 3. As tool 44 is forced upward, it lbends lip' 30 outward and whenits tip 48 clears top edge 28 the tool is pulled down to grip top edge28. The tool is then turned upward while maintaining downward pressureon top edge 28 with hooked portion 46, so as to pryrpart of top edge 28'out from under lip 30. The result of this prying action is illustratedin perspective in FIG. 4, where it may be seen that sheath 15 has beenopened only along part of its length, allowing two pri-ce markers 1.8 tobe removed. Front strip 22 is stilf enough to prevent it from easilybeing pulled out from under lip'30 except by the use of a tool such astool 44. On the other hand, front strip 22 is flexible enough to bendeasily when it is pried with a tool in the manner just described. Due tothe resiliency of the material of sheath 15, front strip 22 tends toreturn to its closed position and to this extent sheath 15 isself-closing. However, it is necessary to push front strip 22 towardretainer 12 in order to snap top edge 28 under lip 30.

Referring to FIG. 5, the adhesive 50 on back side 24 of the sheath mayinitially be protected with a cover strip 52. Cover strip 52 is flexibleand may be peeled off while leaving a layer of adhesive on the exteriorside of back strip 24. This adhesive material is pressure-sensitive.

FIG. 6 is a cross-section of a modified holder 53 wherein there is nolip integral with the back strip of the folderlike sheath 54. Sheath 54,like sheath 15, consists of a single piece of transparent, exible,resilient material and has a front strip 56 and a back strip 58. Thefront and back strips merge at a crease-like bottom edge 60. Top edge 62of front strip 56 is the topmost extremity of 3 sheathV 54, and it :isretained in closed position by the upper lip 3'6 of 'retainer `12. Topedge 62 is beaded to stiffen itiront strip 'S6 'is 'eiible enough ltoallow the sheath to be opened by prying beaded edge 62 out from underlip 36 with a tool. The tool may ybe a straight blade, 'and -when itstip 1isfinsertedunderilip36 and over beaded edge 62, it is -hel'ptul toalso 'push iront strip 56 toward retainer /lZThis bends vxstrip g5t; and'pulls beaded edge 62 `dovtfn enough Sto fallow vr'the lla'des tip "toget a puchase on beaded edge 62. Front strip 56 is stili enough so .thatfit cannot he pried-ou't ffrotn under lip 36, wholly with the angers,thus making this fenibodi'ntent relatively tainpenproof like ftheembodiment of FIGS. 255. 'It may be noted that back strip '5s has a top-edge 64 `located well below top vedge -`62 of frontst'r'ip $6.Bacrkstrip "58 is affixed :to retainerl-z `with adhesive material 'inthe same manner fas described previously. n

7 shows sheath 54u'tside retainer 12 in 'a position 'from Ywhich it c'anbe Apushed against the retainer 'to snap edges 60 and L62 between 'lip's34 a'n'd 36. This 'pressure feauses adhesive :50 on ba'e'l 'strip '5slto Astick yto retailler '12,"thi1s "bonding the sheath to 'theretainer.

The lprice markers 'to beused with either 'embodiment df 'the 'inventiondo A=not have to be resilient; they rnay be vm'adeoff paper in-orderitoreduce costs. This is jpr'ac'tical becu'se the *price 'markers 'are wellproteted by the sheath. I I I Ihe shea-th as initially supplied has alength measured alo'ng Jits vb't'ittoi'n 'edge many 4times greater thanits `hfeiglt measured from Sits bottom Iedge to fits top edge. 'ThisTallowsla large number 'or labels 'to vbe 'plaeed in "a 'single sheath,either individually for'in groups as illustrated in FIG. 1-. llt A'alsoallows the sheath jto @be divided into shorter lsections in forder toLtit the sheath to short lsections of shelving. Ztypical sheath 'inVaccordance with the :invention vhas a length of '36 inches and a heightof about rl finch.

I claimt A1. In 'cornbintion a 'retainer fa'd'apt'edto be 'secured to asupport 'such la's Ythe front eclge 'of 'a shelf, said retainercomprising 'a ilength yfo'f rigidma'terial having a concave front facewithoverhanging lip portions extending along the opposite longitudinaledges thereof, 'a sheath formed of a transparent, resilient material,sai'd .sheath comprising a pair for elongated .strips integrallyconnected :along one longitudinal Yed`gerthe're'cf'f 's'o as 'tobeseparable in a hinge-like manner, fsaid'shea'thhaving'a transversedimension slightly i'les's l'thanithe transverse arcuate dimension ofsaid concave''fr'ont aee 'and slightly greater 'than'the transversedimension :between the longitudinal lfree edges of saidllip portions,saidjshe'ath having its onposite 'longitudinal -e'd'g'es engaged beneathsaid A-lip portions -and retained thereby :in a concave rcondition'generally parallel tulsa-id concave Zface and fa label retained betweensaid strips of said sheath. l A r '2. The -combintionclled .for in claimVLwhereirr the outer strip of said sheath has a greater transversedimens ion than `the inner strip and the free edge of said outer,VV

y face Aof said sheath at one longitudinal edge thereof., said angebeing self-supporting and resilient to enable 4insertion 'of `a pryingtool therebeneath -for enabling the free edge portion of the outer stripto be pulled outwardly of said retainer so as to 4permit access to thespace between the inner and outer strips for 'insertion and removal of alabel therefrom. i

5. The combination called for in claim 2 wherein said last mentionedfree edge is formed as a'thic'kened bead. l

6. The combination called for 4in claim 2 wherein the center strip of4said sheath is spaced from saidconcave fa'ce "such ythat it is adaptedto be depressed against said concave face to retract the free 'edgethereof suciently from Abehind rits associated lip portion Ato enableinsertion of a 'prying Ytool therebehi'nd.

7. In combina-tion a shelf adapted to support commodities, a retainersecured to the front edge Aof said fshelt and extending lengthwisethereof, said retainer comprising a length of rigid material having aconcave `front-face with overhang'ing lip portions extending along theopposite longitudinal edges thereof, a -sheathior'med'of a transparent,resilient material, said sheath comprising la Apair (if elongated stripsintegrally connected along one longitudinal edge thereof so as to beIseparable .in a hingelike manner, said sheath having a transversedimension silglitly less than the transverse arcuate-dimension Vof saidconcave front face and slightly greater than the Vtransverse ydimensionbetween the :longitudinal free edges ofsaid lip portions, said sheathhaving Lits opposite -longitudinal edges engaged beneath said lipportions and Iretained thereby in a concave condition fgenerally[parallel tosaid concave face and a @label retained between :said stripsof said sheath.

References 'Cited UNITED STATES vPATIItI-TS 1;487-,520 v3/1924- Ringlen2,331,086 '10/ 1943 Taylor. 2,526,472 1/.1953 stingl 40 =l6 v2,812,60011/1957 Hopp 401n EUGENE R. cAPozIo, Primary Examine-f.

W, J, CQNTRERAS, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN COMBINATION A RETAINER ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO A SUPPORT SUCH ASTHE FRONT EDGE OF A SHELF, SAID RETAINER COMPRISING A LENGTH OF RIGIDMATERIAL HAVING A CONCAVE FRONT FACE WITH OVERHANGING LIP PORTIONSEXTENDING ALONG THE OPPOSITE LONGITUDINAL EDGES THEREOF, A SHEATH FORMEDOF A TRANSPARENT, RESILIENT MATERIAL, SAID SHEATH COMPRISING A PAIR OFELONGATED STRIPS INTEGRALLY CONNECTED ALONG ONE LONGITUDINAL EDGETHEREOF SO AS TO BE SEPARABLE IN A HINGE-LIKE MANNER, SAID SHEATH HAVINGA TRANSVERSE DIMENSION SLIGHTLY LESS THAN THE TRANSVERSE ARCUATEDIMENSION OF SAID CONCAVE FRONT FACE AND SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THETRANSVERSE DIMENSION BETWEEN THE LONGITUDINAL FREE EDGES OF SAID LIPPORTIONS, SAID SHEATH HAVING ITS OPPOSITE LONGITUDINAL EDGES ENGAGEDBENEATH SAID LIP PORTIONS AND RETAINED THEREBY IN A CONCAVE CONDITIONGENERALLY PARALLEL TO SAID CONCAVE FACE AND A LABEL RETAINED BETWEENSAID STRIPS OF SAID SHEATH.